06/01/2026
🌟 Patriot Profile: Dean 🌟
In Dean's own words:
"I guess volunteering has always been in my blood, even as a young man. I learned that spirit from my father, who served in World War II. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, I volunteered and joined the Navy, where I served for four years. I still remember being sworn in during halftime at a Chicago Bulls game.
Because of my education in linguistics and my fluency in French, I imagined I might be stationed somewhere glamorous in France. Instead, the Navy sent me to Laos, where I worked as a Vietnamese translator. So much for croissants and the Eiffel Tower!
My responsibilities included air traffic surveillance and transcribing messages coming from North Vietnam. Most of the intercepted chatter was routine, though every now and then I'd catch something important enough to get the attention of my commanders.
For my final year of service, I returned to the United States and served with the Armed Forces Police in Washington, D.C. During that time, I was assigned to the Watergate Complex and happened to be working on the day the Watergate burglars broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. We were all escorted out of the building that day — which turned out to be 'the beginning of the end for Nixon.'
After my Navy service, I married and raised three children. I eventually took over my family's engraving and ink business, originally started by my grandfather. My commitment to community service didn't end with the Navy. Over the years, I've served as president of the local school board, been appointed to the State Economic Board by Governor George Ryan, and even ran for the Village Board. I figured if people trusted me with classified messages, maybe they'd trust me with local government too!
Now, at 79 years old, my volunteer days have slowed down a bit. With the support of my 1776 caregiver, Yolanda, I spend my time outdoors in my gardens and tinkering around the house." 🌱
Thank you, Dean, for your service — and to Yolanda for the daily care that makes Dean's gardens and his stories possible! ❤️
